Assoc. Prof. Ben Chen

As a Law lecturer and researcher at Sydney University, our newest St Beryl Society member, Ben Chen (2008-2012), has an insider’s view on both the importance of making a Will and the extraordinary value of charitable bequests to education.

Ben made his own bequest to Burgmann because of what a bursary made possible. Arriving in Australia from mainland China in his early teens, the first-generation immigrant and his single mum faced all the challenges of a new country, language and culture, while also facing the struggles of financial hardship.

‘Culturally, China is very different to Australia. It was a challenge adapting to a new environment, but everyone was incredibly friendly,’ Ben says.

‘The biggest challenge was financial. Mum raised me all alone and worked multiple jobs to give us a better life. We moved between rental properties and rented out our spare rooms to make ends meet,’ he recalls.

Like many new Australians, Ben attended a public school in Sydney’s Inner West, and when he finished, says all he wanted was to leave home. Applying to the University of Melbourne and the ANU, Ben received offers of partial financial assistance from both, but the bursary from Burgmann College made living on campus financially viable. Ben chose Burgmann and has never looked back.